“Intelligent systems have the potential to contribute to the reduction of physical inactivity. However, this requires a distinctive approach and envisioning of societal and personal needs.”

Steven Vos is professor (Chair Design and Analysis of Intelligent Systems for Vitality and Leisure Time Sports) at the Department of Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology. He is also head of research at the School of Sports Studies, Fontys University of Applied Sciences.  Vos is interested in understanding people's behaviour in real-life settings and designing tailored services and products to improve sports, physical activity and vitality, taking into account individual, social and environmental factors.

Vos has contributed to establish sports & vitality as one of the strategic research and design topics of the department, both in terms of internal profiling (through projects and the Roadmap Human Technology for Vital People) and external profiling (through co-authoring the Dutch national research agenda on sports & exercise, supporting the Vitality Academy, and setting up living labs).

Steven Vos holds a master’s degree in Social Psychology from KU Leuven, Belgium, and also completed his PhD research in Kinesiology and Sport Policy there over a decade later. He worked at KU Leuven in a variety of positions and spent several years as a research manager at the Accessibility Expertise Center in Belgium before joining Fontys University of Applied Sciences. 

• Fontys University of Applied Sciences

• Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute

• Vitality Academy / Preventaitive Health (UU – TU/e - WUR)

Partners in (semi-)industry

• 2M Engineering
• Golazo SX
• Imec NL

Expertise area(‘s): US
Squad: Vitality

Research focus, project topics I’d like to coach:
“My interest lies in the broad field of sports, exercise, health, often linked to motivating people to move, prevent injuries, fit movement into daily life.
These topics are connected to my own research. The projects that students choose are often linked to research projects by the PhD students who help coaching the projects,  where possible we usually try to do that. But often people also come up with their own projects and that's okay too, as long as the content is justifiable.”

What is your vision on education/coaching?
"What works best for me are fairly autonomous students, who come when they have a question, or when they need help, but I do not have fixed meetings every week. I am available if they need me, but I expect a lot of autonomy.
I am coaching students to really learn on their own. That often takes more time and energy than a structured approach, but I believe they must choose their own path and that I must help them do so. I do expect students to take the initiative."

What can you tell about your network?
"My network is related to my research scope, I have connections in  Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark."

Exemplary projects I have coached:
Hans Brombacher: Stimulight

Simone van den Broek (2018): Design implementation of Behavioral change techniques to improve perceived euhydration
(not in library yet)